Greenwich- the Final Project by Stephen Goldhahn

Author:Stephen Goldhahn [Goldhahn, Stephen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Time Travel, Genre Fiction, Colonization, historical fiction, Literature & Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Genetic Engineering, Historical, SCIENCE FICTION
ISBN: 9780996555104
Amazon: B01AQS37BO
Publisher: Rigel Publishing
Published: 2016-03-07T16:00:00+00:00

Part Three

I wander all night in my vision,

Stepping with light feet, swiftly and noiselessly stepping and stopping,

Bending with open eyes over the shut eyes of sleepers,

Wandering and confused, lost to myself, ill-assorted, contradictory,

Pausing, gazing, bending, and stopping.

Walt Whitman, “The Sleepers,” Leaves of Grass.

Chapter 17

1774

Saturday, 17 September

Greenwich, Cumberland County

The day started off unseasonably warm. Thomas Whitman, hard at work in his blacksmith shop, had drawn the doors of his shed wide open for better ventilation, but by mid-afternoon the weather was turning cool and blustery and he was thinking about closing them. Looking up from his work, Thomas was startled to see his good friend, Chief Dan Fire Cloud, standing just inside the doorway, quiet and still, arms folded across his chest, his solid frame silhouetted against the intruding daytime glare of the afternoon sun.

Dan was a big man, almost the size of Thomas. As was his custom, Dan wore a blend of traditional Indian and white settlers’ garb: buckskin trousers, a vest decorated with beads and trinkets of carved oyster and tortoise shells, a three-cornered hat festooned with turkey feathers, and a splendid pair of black leather boots. The boots were a gift from Thomas.

Thomas didn’t know how long Dan Fire Cloud had been standing there silent and unannounced, maybe the entire morning for all he knew.

“Chief! You startled me!”

Chief Dan nodded. “And a good day to you, Thomas, my good friend. May I come in?”

Thomas laid down his hammer and picked up a towel to wipe his hands. “Certainly, Dan. You know you’re always welcome here.” He walked over and embraced Dan, giving him a firm hug and pat on the back. “And to what do I owe this unexpected visit, my friend?” he asked, drawing himself away.

“I have come to seek advice, Thomas.”

“Advice? What advice could I possibly give a wise old man like yourself.”

Dan Fire Cloud was a full-blooded Lenni Lenape Indian, one of only a handful of his people remaining in Cumberland County in 1774, a mere remnant of the Unilachtigo nation that once populated the southern regions of New Jersey. Since the arrival of the Europeans over a century before, most of the tribes and villages in the area had scattered to other regions of the colonies, or been relocated to reservations, like the one established in Burlington County about seventy miles to the north. Brotherton, as it was called, was created in 1758 on a 3,284-acre tract of land as part of ongoing negotiations with the Lenni Lenape to make reparations for lands lost to the new European settlers. Negotiations continued in good faith over the years, and in due course tribes and individuals were compensated for lands and lost hunting and fishing rights. It was a credit to the honorable intentions of both sides that this was achieved without the spilling of blood.

Unfortunately, the old ways and new ways did not always mix well. With the arrival of the Europeans came disease and pestilence. While the white man over the years had developed

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.